Nike Empower Creative Guidelines 2021
A 270-page Nike brand and creative guideline deck built on a strict three-color system (black, signal yellow, red) plus electric blue, pairing an elegant high-contrast serif for emotive headlines with a bold neo-grotesque sans for structure.
270 slides · Guideline
View deck overview
Empower cover wordmark
Welcome / introduction
Contents / table of contents
Strategic Overview section divider
Brand Strategy sub-section opener
Inflection point / Gen Z statement
Generation Z insights
Future Chasers muse
Consumer and Nike problem
Opportunity statement
Belief statement with figure-skater triptych
Our approach red serif statement
Our 2021 shift comparison slide
Make youth feel, help youth do statement slide
Member landscape three-column matrix
2021 Narrative section opener
Play New manifesto wall
Play New tagline reveal on red
Play New tagline statement on red
Messaging headline and tagline guidance
Creative Strategy section divider
Play New Times Square OOH mockup
New / Generation oversized lockup on magenta
In-store tiled floor graphics activation
Rule Breakers poster grid with Serena Williams
New campaign poster grid with Play New
Mosaic billboard OOH mockup
Play New campaign poster collage
New Freaks and New Oddballs poster pair
Creative Approach section divider
Our Challenge statement (serif)
Our Goal statement (serif)
What We Make three-point list
How We Make three-point list
Empowered Creative Network title (serif on black)
Monoculture to Diversity split with portrait grid
Creative Direction section divider
Expression Empowered brand sentiment (serif on black)
Sport Out Loud / Expression Out Loud split
Empowered Out Loud art direction collage
Creative Should Feel triptych (Galvanizing / Provocative / Unifying)
Creative Should Look triptych (Expressive / Bold / Vibrant)
Design Guidelines contents (amber on black)
Play New graphic-tools intro statement (amber)
Lockups sub-section divider (amber)
Lock-ups 75/25 usage rule with three lockup specimens
Headline Lockup A on color and black backgrounds
Headline Lockup B on light and dark art backgrounds
Play New CTA lockup positive and negative
Motion Lockups section opener
Motion lockup examples grid
Rotating headline plus Play New motion example
Single headline plus Play New motion example
Play New endcard motion example
Sizzle application example New Standards
Typography section opener
Headline, modifier and signifier typefaces specimen
Typography type layout with placement labels
Typography type plus image layout for art backgrounds
Typography creator credit accreditation rule
Color section opener
Color manifesto statement on black
Empower base color palette swatches
Nike Empower approved color pairings grid
Nike Empower creators color palette 75/25 split
Nike Empower color don'ts with red X overlays
Nike Empower Layouts section divider
Nike Empower campaign layout poster grid
Nike Empower Headline Layout A example
Nike Empower Headline Layout A aspect ratios
Nike Empower Headline Layout A guides
Nike Empower Headline Layout A signifier anchoring
Nike Empower Headline Layout B New Oddballs masthead
Nike Empower Headline Layout B responsive sizing
Nike Empower Headline Layout B guides
Nike Empower CTA Layout on color
Nike Empower CTA Layout on image
Nike Empower CTA Layout guides
Nike Empower Layout Applications section divider
Nike Empower hero grid variable modifier
Nike Empower hero grid 1-row alternating example
Hero grid 1-row guide overlays
Hero grid 2-row checkerboard example
Hero grid 2-row guide overlays
Hero grid alternate two-row guides
Two-up system pairing rules
Single layout usage rule
Translations section divider
Localization intent statement
French localized creative examples grid
What gets translated rule
Translation conjugations masthead spec
French masthead examples on red
French masthead guides on black
French Nouveau masthead examples on red
French Nouveau masthead guides on black
French localized imagery grid
Spanish Nuevos masthead examples on yellow
Spanish Nuevos masthead guides on black
Spanish masthead specimens
Spanish masthead guides
Spanish campaign poster examples
Photography Art Direction section divider
Tapestry of creators statement
Monoculture to diversity
Humanize the Heroes
Vibe collage
Sport is emotional photo collage
Full range of emotions photo collage
Showcase the magic behind the scenes collage
Celebrate authenticity photo collage
Be as real as our athletes collage
Motion Capture section divider
Motion capture spirit and energy statement
Motion Capture Considerations three-point list
Celebrate diversity through capture collage
Illustration section divider
Illustration diversity statement
Free the work illustration collage
Diversity of creators illustration collage
Cultural connections illustration collage
Illustration Dos three-panel examples
Illustration Dos artist-selection examples
Illustration don'ts grid
Multi-disciplinary section divider
Embrace multi-disciplinary creatives body copy
Use Your Imagination imagery collage
Mix Realities and Methods of Make collage
Language section opener with contents
Words matter manifesto copy on magenta
How to write New blank section divider
New headlines campaign poster grid
Manifesto of New statements
New guidelines for Gen Z voice
What to do, right words for the right story
What not to do, prohibited New usage
Empower tone of voice section divider
Our tone is, adjective contrast list
Tone guidelines, four numbered rules
Do / Don't copywriting split
Tactical copy guidelines four-column list
Empower story checklist
Application Examples magenta section divider
From / To web feature example
From / To app feature example
From / To Instagram example
Empowered Creative Network serif cover
ECN playbook serif statement
Why do we need it green serif statement
Empowered formula three-part equation
Framework / resource two-card panel
Empowered creative principles three-column
Four approaches pairing matrix
Examples of empowered storytelling four-column
Where does it live green serif resource
Application serif section opener
Creative direction serves the athlete
Digital application section opener
Digital framing formats overview
Single Image format intro
Horizontal hero system, desktop and mobile
Single-image athlete feature, Serena
Single-image artist portrait
Grid Layout format intro
Grid 1 Hero, three-panel framing
Grid 2 Hero, mosaic assembly
Grid Carousel, Motion intro
Vertical grid carousel, motion behavior
Vertical carousel, preserving focal crops
Horizontal grid carousel, motion and cropping
Layered Contact Sheet format intro
Contact sheet, 1 image horizontal 1/3 filled
Digital contact-sheet framing, 1 image vertical 1/3 filled
Digital contact-sheet framing, 1 image horizontal filled
Digital contact-sheet framing, horizontal team photo filled
Digital contact-sheet framing, horizontal strip
Thumbnail Design section opener
Nike Journal Page, New Voices homepage
Nike Journal Page with thumbnails grid overlay
Thumbnails mix and match, color-block ratios
Article Page section opener
Editorial Collage article page, desktop
Editorial Collage article page, mobile
Editorial Collage article page, desktop sports
Editorial Collage article page, mobile sports
Short Format article page, desktop
Short Format article page, mobile
Anatomy of the Page, desktop callouts
Anatomy of the Page, collage guidance
Anatomy of the page, illustration guidelines
OOH application section opener
OOH Times Square night billboards
OOH Times Square billboard wrap
OOH Times Square dual-screen framing
OOH New York street-level billboards
OOH single billboard portrait execution
OOH single billboard split framing
OOH wall-scale building billboard
OOH Paris subway poster wrap
OOH Paris subway New Normal wrap
OOH posterwall Play New collage
OOH posterwall creative variants
OOH WNBA posterwall
OOH London Piccadilly Circus billboard
Retail application section opener
Retail single-window display mockup
Retail double-window display mockup
Retail triple-window installation mockup
Retail atrium floor and column installation
Play New creative strategy on a page
Contacts and Box links page
Orange Swoosh pause slide
Addendum section divider
Empowered Creative Network section divider
What's Inside contents page
Virgil Abloh quote slide
New campaign Times Square OOH mockup
Retail atrium floor and pillar installation
New way of working statement slide
Playbook shared values statement
Strategic Approach subsection divider
What's the same / what's new split over video still
Monoculture to diversity portrait grid
Empowered Out Loud purple collage
Define the future statement on green
What we make / how we make serif split on cyan
Obsess the story on both sides of the lens
Story in front of / behind the lens diptych
The Empowered Creative Network green reveal
Framework and resource two-card definition
Empowered Formula three-part equation
Framework oversized section divider on cyan
Shared values statement on cyan
Empowered Creative Principles three-step overview
Hero Authentic Storytellers photo opener
Hero Authentic Storytellers four-point guidance
Embrace True Co-Creation collage opener
Embrace True Co-Creation four-point guidance
Celebrate the Story Behind the Lens
Boost Creative Partners (Instagram credit mockup)
Capture & Tell the Creator's Story (two-column)
Examples of Empowered Storytelling (four-column)
4 Approaches to Empowered Storytelling (section opener)
Opportunity is the key to empowerment (statement)
Elite Athlete + Future Chaser Creative
Elite Athlete + Established + Future Chaser Creative
Everyday Athlete + Established Creative
Everyday Athlete + Future Chaser Creative
4 Approaches to Empowered Storytelling (summary table)
Resources (section divider)
Shared tools for empowered storytelling (statement)
Resource - Empowered Creative Network Database
How to Submit to the Empowered Creative Network
Example Future Chaser Creatives - Artist Reps/Networks
Future Chaser Creatives - Photographers profile grid
Future Chaser Creatives - Directors profile grid
Future Chaser Creatives - Illustrators profile grid
Cyan Nike swoosh on black
Digital Layout Guides section opener
Single image horizontal layout spec
Single image vertical layout spec
Grid 1 Hero layout spec
Grid 2 Hero layout spec
Grid carousel vertical motion layout spec
Grid carousel horizontal motion layout spec
Contact sheet horizontal one-third filled layout spec
Contact sheet vertical one-half filled layout spec
Contact sheet horizontal filled layout spec
Contact sheet strip layout spec
Nike endframe cyan swoosh